Surgical instrument



Cil

Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES IRVING- H. FOWLE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed March 23, 1923.

10 all whom yit may concern.'

Be it known that I, IRVING II. Fow1.n,.a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

vThe invention pertains to improvements in vaginal washers and has primarily for its object the provision of a simple and efficient device of this character adapted to thoroughly flush the vaginal cavity as well as wipe the walls thereof, to remove all secretitious mattei', and obtain a healthy and hygienic condition.

A further object is to provide a washer of the foregoing character, which, due to its simplicity of operation, readily lends itself to the use of a patient and eliminates the necessity of treatment by one skilled in the medica-l profession.

Another object lies in the provision of a device of the above character, vhaving its parts particularly 'designed to facilitate cleansing and sterilizing and to prevent the accumulation of foreign matter.

A still further object is to provide means whereby a wiping pad or sponge may be detachably connected to the washer, thus providing for the use of a new and properly sterilized pad for each operation.

I'Vith the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substatntially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that suchA Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view Serial No. 627,019.

illustrating the means for detachably connecting the wiping pad.

Igigure 4 is an end elevation of the device, an

Figure 5 is a detail fragn'ientary view.

l Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the present invention includes a shield 6 provided with a centrally disposed sleeve 7 having its inner end spherically formed at 8 to provide a substantially water tight universal bearing for the washer 9 whose outer surface is spherical in shape, thus forming a ball and socket joint. Adjustably mounted within the washer 9 is a hollow tube 10 which is locked in adjusted position with relation to the washer' by means of a set screw 11.

The inner end of the tube 10 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed prongs 12 which are preferably formed by cutting out the material at opposite 'sides of the tube, as illustrated in Figure 5, and bending the cut-out portions outwardly. The prongs 12 thus formed have inwardly projecting tines 13 and because of the resiliency of the prongs the same are capable of being contracted as the washer 14: mounted on the tube is forced over them. In their contracted position the tines of the prongs are adapted to engage the wiping pad 15 which may be constructed of any suitable material, such as gauze, or a sponge.

The washer 9 is provided with an outlet opening 16 for the purpose which will be later described, and the outer end of the tube 10 has connected thereto a rubber hose 17 connected with any suitable source of cleansing liquid supply which is fed to the wiping pad 15 and is discharged through the openings 18 formed in the inner end of the tube. It will also be seen that a certain portion of the cleaning material will pass through the slots formed in the tube by the punching out of the prongs 12.

In the operation of the device, the sleeve 7 is inserted into the vaginal opening, the tube 1() having been previously adjusted to the `desired position with relation to the shield. It may then be freely oscillated within thelimits indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. `-During this operation the cleansing liquid is supplied to the tube 10 and dischanged through the openings 18 into the vaginal cavity until such cavity is completely filled, at which time the cleansing liquid will be discharged through the opening 16 probili lll)

lvided in the washer 9, and inasmuch as the opening 16 1s restricted 1n proportion to the fluid outlets provided in the end of the tubeV l0, thecleansing fluid will be held within the vaginal cavity, thus insuring a complete and thorough fiushing.

It will also be noted that the present invention, which provides for the attachment of the wiping pad to the end oi' the tube 10, lends itself most effectively to the removal ot secretitious matter from the cervix, at which point the greatest aecummulation takes place, and as the device is withdrawn from the vaginal cavity, a slight oscillation of the tube 10V will cause the pad to thorough` ly wipe the walls thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a very simple and eilicient wiperhas been provided which can be readily taken apart for the purpose of sterilizing, and which Acan be easily operated by the patient herself without injury, leaving the vagina in a healthy and hygienic condition so essential to proper health.

A further advantage ot the present device resides in the provision for detaehably connecting the wiping pad to the tube, thus permitting the use of a new and properly sterilized pad foreach operation.

I claim l. A Vdevice of the character described,

ycomprising a shield, a hollow tube universally mounted in said shield, a wiping pad detaehably connected to one end of the tube,

and means for supplying cleansing liquidv to said tube.

2. A device of the character described,

its inner end, a wiping pad detaehably connected to the inner end of the tube, and means for supplying cleansing liquid to the opposite end 0i' the tube.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a shield, a hollow tube universally mounted in said shield, a wiping pad for the inner end of said tube, prongs connected to the tube for detaehably retaining said wiping pad, and means for supplying cleansing liquid to the tube.

l; A device of the character described comprising a shield having an inwardly extending sleeve, a spherical socket in the inner end of said sleeve, a spherical washer journalled in said socket, a hollow tube carried by said washer, a wiping pad detachably connected to the inner end of said tube, and means for supplying cleansing liquid to the other end of said tube.

5. A vaginal syringe comprising a rigid tube having a hose receiving end and a delivery end and having a delivery aperture adjacent its delivery end, spring clips carried adjacent said delivery end of said tube and adapted to detachably receive a pad, a shield having a main body and a. tubular portion through which said tube projects, said tubular portion extending from the body of said shield towards the delivery end of said tube, and an apertured washer carried by and supporting said tube and socketed for universal motion within the end of the tubular portion of said shield and at a point between the delivery end of said tube and the body of said shield.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand at l\flilwaukee, in

the county ot' Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

IRVING H. FOlVLl. 

